Bank Job
by Dungeon Inspector
Summary: Double star crime hunter Mizaistom had seen many strange cases, but he had never investigated a bank heist where the robbers added 4,000,000 jenny to the vault. The beginning is set between the end of the Election arc and chapter 343.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Double star crime hunter Mizaistom had seen many strange cases, but he had never investigated a bank heist where the robbers added 4,000,000 jenny to the vault. One-Shot set between the end of the Election arc and chapter 343.

Disclaimer: Useless disclaimer for sites that need one.

Bank Job

* * *

As one of the two men near the edge of the scene flashed his hunter's license, Mizaistom nodded an acknowledgment. Temp hunters, hunters with governmental jobs subcontracted to them from the Hunters Association. Not people that he wanted to work with, but there was no need to spark further inter-conflict within the Hunter Association. As a Zodiac, he'd do his best to cooperate with them, even if they were most likely lackeys of Pariston.

Anything to do with Pariston was rotten business. He'd always held tight control over the temp hunter jobs assignments during his time as Vice-Chairman and in doing so gained significant influence over the group. Shady, but legal, dealings passed inside the organization to gain his favoritism and thus better jobs. It was no secret that some less than legal ones went down as well, but concrete evidence linking back to Pariston personally had proven impossible to come by.

Mizaistom had spent six years watching the man's every move and still 18 hunters managed to suffer "unfortunate" accidents right under his nose. Unforgivable.

The pair ducked under the yellow police tape and peered through the heavy steel bars blocking the way to the vault. The damage was obvious even from this distance: the entire back wall had been reduced to rubble by heavy explosives, and a dark tunnel led underground. Following the tunnel would eventually lead to the bottom of Mr. and Mrs. Zuckerman's old bar and grill, _That's Some Pig_ , which hadn't been open for more than a year now after the couple retired to the country. According to the locals, no one had reported seeing anyone go in or out in the past few months, but __someone__ had to have dug the tunnel.

"How much was the count again?" The first temp hunter, Kuro, asked. He was tall and what most women would consider handsome, with a clean face and stunning straight teeth. His black hair was short but messy underneath a knit hat that went down to just above his eyes. He wore an over-sized jacket that swallowed him up and black slacks. But his mouth seemed permanently set in a slight frown; probably because they'd spent all of their time together inspecting such an absurd crime scene. If it could even be called that. Was it a crime if the robbers had __given__ you money?

"According to the records the last count on Friday showed that the vault contained 3.4 million in bearer bonds and another 17.1 million in cash," Mizaistom told him. He had the checked the papers himself; he knew it was accurate. "Plus the contents of the safety deposit boxes. They've been checked over and as far as anyone can tell, none of them were opened. There hasn't appeared to be any damage done to them, and they were all..."

"Don't count on it," The other temp hunter, Shal, interrupted him. He leaned over, trying to see the safety deposit boxes through the bars. "If they weren't after the cash, then there has to be something else missing. There are rumors that Mr. Battera, a millionaire known for collecting rare items, most famously his purchase of a copy of Greed Island for 30.5 billion jenny at last year's Southernpiece Auction, might have kept a box here under a pseudonym. Those boxes just might have something in them worth well over the worth of all the cash. We're going to need to go through an inventory of those and make sure that everything is still inside."

Mizaistom clenched his fist. He'd checked their condition earlier, personally. "That's fine." He answered in a clipped tone.

"The count?" Kuro asked with a hint of aggravation. "Don't get sidetracked, your _suppose_ to be the best aren't you?" He gave a curious _hum_. "You said they __added__ cash to the shelves?"

"Correct." Mizaistom unlocked the gate and led them into the vault, where the mystery pallet sat right next to the others, still on a handcart. A cart that didn't belong to the bank, no less. "Sequential serial numbers. Another 4 million jenny in cash..." Mizaistom pointed to the numbers visible through the plastic wrapping. "None of them even look like they've ever been touched."

Kuro removed a Ben's knife from his coat and handed it to Shal.

Shal sliced through the plastic wrapping on the pallet. He lifted a stack of one thousand jenny bills and held it up to eye level. Bright green eyes studied the bills closely. He flipped through the stack like a picture book examining the detailed watermarks. He even sniffed them.

"You should have used Gyo," he told Kuro. "These are good, but they glow more than a computer screen. Definitely, counterfeit. Someone seems to have made an exact replica of another stack. We're probably dealing with a conjurer."

Mizaistom nearly smacked himself in the head. _'Counterfeit, of course!'_ He was slipping to have not thought of that. Due to the recent Chairman election, he'd put in too many hours at his desk and not enough time out solving mysteries. A groan must have slipped out or some other sound because Kuro turned to him with a sympathetic smile. "It's hard to tell. Almost looks legit, doesn't it?"

Mizaistom nodded. The bills in his hand did look real, and he'd seen more than a few counterfeit bills in his time while on a case.

"They're trying to get the counterfeits into circulation," he said.

"Why leave __more__ than there originally was, though?" Mizaistom asked. "Unless we're dealing with the worst bank robbers in history, they must have known leaving more money would draw attention to it. Why not just replace the money instead of only adding to it?"

The two temps looked at each other. "Well, we're not sure how much legitimate currency there is left here. We're going to have to have a look around," Kuro finally answered. "Particularly at those safe deposit boxes. Would you mind bringing over the key sets for us?"

Mizaistom complied and returned to the vault to remove the safety deposit boxes. They'd proved helpful thus far so perhaps they would find something else he'd missed. One by one, he extracted the metal containers from the secured cabinet and placed them on the table, where the temps inspected them for any external damage. "We're going to need the customer keys to open them," he told the temp hunters.

"Of course," Shal said with a nod. He shot Mizaistom a playful grin. "Hey, can you go get us that list of customers? We'll work on contacting them."

Mizaistom printed out a list from the bank's records and brought it to the temps. They'd finished inspecting the safety deposit boxes and were currently flipping through stacks of bills that were already on the shelves. They were placing them into two piles: one for 'real,' and one for 'counterfeit.'

Kuro smiled at Mizaistom as he took the list. Reaching into his jacket he produced a book. "Would you mind holding this for a second? I need to get it out of the way so I can find my phone. Pockets, they never make them big enough, you know."

"Sure," said Mizaistom as he took the book. The cover was strange, a black book with a red hand print. He took care not to allow it to open, it was clearly related to the other man's hatsu and even if they were working together it was best not to allow himself to potentially pass any restrictions the ability might need.

"How unfortunate. I seem to have forgotten my phone today. Can I have my book back?" Kuro took the book back and said, "Thanks, Shal you have your phone don't you?"

"Of course," Shal said, looking up at Kuro. "You want me to make the calls, right?"

"In a moment. First, though I'd like to ask our fellow detective what his ability is. We need to cooperate if we're going to find the culprit and to do that we're going to need to know all the resources at our disposal." replied Kuro. He chuckled and raised his book, pointing to it with his other hand. "Naturally, we'll share our information as well."

"I'll pass."

Kuro shrugged. "A shame. It's hard to find trusting people these days." He waved a hand dismissively at Mizaistom. "Well then, if it's going to be like that we'll continue to double check everything here while you can return to following your own leads."

Mizaistom tried to avoid his cold gaze. At least Shal had a smile for him. Granted in the short time he'd spent around the men, Mizaistom had yet to see Shal not smiling. "All right then." He returned back to the front office to finish reading through the paperwork for the insurance claim. If nothing else it was an amusing read as the clerk clearly didn't quite know how to fill in the "Lost assets" column for this situation. He'd seen some strange cases, but this one didn't just take the cake it, it left it and then gave him a second one instead just to prove a point.

The Sheriff, Don Uts entered with his normal slow shuffle. "Afternoon, Mizaistom," he told me. He was nearly 65, but the district's citizens kept electing him Sheriff. The good part of Mizaistom believed it was as kind of a thank you for all his past service, his inner cynic thought it was because of his name. There wasn't much crime here anyway with the Hunter Association Headquarters located so close by, and his deputies were all young and fit so no one really saw the harm.

"Sheriff," Mizaistom nodded to him. "How are you?"

"Oh, fine," he said with a child-like grin. "Back to collect some more evidence. Not every day that we get a bank robbery around these parts! Exciting, isn't it?"

Mizaistom shrugged. He found it rather interesting, but not anything worth getting too excited over. Then again it wasn't his first robbed bank. "If you're here to help with the investigation, the two temp hunters from the association are in the vault doing their investigation now."

Sheriff Uts seemed puzzled. "We... haven't called in any request for any other hunters..." he told Mizaistom slowly.

Frowning Mizaistom returned to the scene of the crime.

The vault was empty. The handtruck with the pallet of counterfeit bills had disappeared, as had the pallets of __actual__ bills, along with a good number of the safety deposit boxes and the list of their owners' names and addresses. The only sign that the Kuro and Shal had ever been there was twin sets of footprints in the dust and rubble leading into the dark tunnel.

Peering into the darkness, there was the _crunch_ of paper beneath Mizaistom's foot.

It was a note."We reject no one. So take nothing from us!"

He knew that phrase, any crime hunter worth his salt did. It was the calling card of Meteor City and by extension the Phantom Troupe. A clue was a clue, at least it was something to work off of given that their names were undoubtedly fake. They'd already proven with the money that they were connected to a skilled counterfeiter and even if the licenses were real hunters often had a different name on their license since just owning one put a target on their back. In addition to that, there was always a chance of a knowing someone's true name being used as a restriction for a hatsu. It was a wonder more people didn't lie about it.

 _Buzz_

Taking his phone out of his pocket he glanced at the screen. It was Cheadle. "I'm on a case now. I assume this is important?"

Her voice crackled slightly with static as she said, "We've got a replacement lined up for the Rat. I'm trusting you to bring him in. I'll email you the full details."

"Understood, I'll pick him up."

Clicking to end the call, he sighed. There were bigger fish to fry. With Beyond sitting in confinement getting the new recruit would have to come first. He'd have to let them go, _for now_. But his double star status wasn't just for show, in the end, Mizaistom Nana _always_ got his man.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Blasted story tags are such spoilers. *Grumbles***


	2. Chapter 2

Spoilers for chapter: 343-345

Well, surprise! I didn't know if this would ever move past a one-shot, I left it open ended just in case I ever managed to put together a story outline for this. With a bit of encouragement I did. Not ideal timing admittedly since I prefer not to have more than three WIP and I'm trying to get in Christmas one-shots since it's December, but I still hope you enjoy this.

* * *

Mizaistrom spent hours watching every video clip, reading every crime report, and pouring over countless transcripts written by the hunters that oversaw the examinees during the exam. Seven years worth of information starting from the genocide in Lukso had landed in his lap in glorious chronological order thanks to the blessing that was Cheadle's precise nature. His target was smart, but sloppy if he didn't want to be traceable. There was a mile wide paper trail with everything from an entire town's worth eyewitness reports of two red-eyed children in strange tribal wear beating up a group of thugs to going to the Sengi guild, an agency controlled by the Hunter Association, to claim a bodyguard job for the Nostrade family.

Deduction: Kurapika wanted to reclaim the remains of his kin and took the most efficient approach to obtaining it. His ability to cover his tracks, however, needed work.

Standing in front of the tall office building, Mizaistrom had to admit the kid was learning. It was tall and entirely ordinary in appearance the type of building where men would have brought their ties and briefcases to work. Its paperwork was all clear and the Nostrade family's tax record had been clean. A mob den in plain sight. It showed its shiny exterior for the world while being a festering sore of humanity. Intelligence and underworld ties, he could only hope he would not regret bringing in the new Rat. The world did not need another Pariston.

Shoes clicking on the tile floor, he walked into the lobby. Well light, expensive wood furniture, and intricate wall trimmings, it seemed a reputable place of business, if one could discount the three thugs playing cards in the corner. Cheap punks for show, the real muscle was the hunter seated as the receptionist. A suit and tie looked good, but they couldn't hide the slight spike in aura when he'd walked in.

"I'm from the Hunter Association," said Mizaistrom slipping a hand into his pocket. "Is Kurapika here?" One, two, three, his hand settled on the card he wanted: yellow. Without the use of Nen, his offensive aura alone could kill the three thugs so they'd need to be restrained if they tried to get the jump on him. Of his three abilities, Closed Trial would be the most effective.

In his Cross Game blue was admittance into the courtroom, yellow was restraint, red was expulsion from the courtroom. First, he had to reveal to his target the yellow card's exclamation marked side and issue a warning. If the target ignored his warning, he would flip the card to show the cross side of restraint. Thus the target would become encased in a squared parallelepiped prison that prevented movement. The ability could be utilized as many times as necessary and worked against multiple targets simultaneously.

From behind the front desk, Linssen leaned back in his office chair. "He's away. If you have any important business leave it with me."

"I'll wait here until he comes back."

 _Thud_ \- the punks stood knocking over their chairs in their rush.

Mizaistrom played his card displaying it to the four men in front of him. "Acts of violence will not be permitted."

His warning went unheeded.

One came from each side while the biggest charged him directly. At least they understood how to use their numbers to their advantage.

Standing his ground, Mizaistrom said, "Restraint."

Within their Nen-cages, the punks cursed at him.

He walked around the caged men to sit on the couch. "You can not step towards me."

Observing him through Gyo, Linssen stood up from his chair. "Kurapika is in the basement. I'd advise you avoid provoking him, he's been... stressed lately. I'll go-"

 _Creak -_ the back door opened.

From across the room, Kurapika glared up at his unwelcome and uninvited guest. "What do you want? You've kicked up enough noise to wake the dead."

Still struggling the biggest punk called out, "Boss, this asshole is up to something!"

Kurapika bristled, his patience, always minimal these days, abruptly running out. "Either make your statements in some way meaningful or, preferably, remain silent."

Image was important in the underworld, any sign of weakness could snowball into an endless stream of challenges to his authority. Having his men lose a fight would require retaliation or he'd lose face.

Watching the men back down, Mizaistrom let out a sigh of relief. Spitting on Kurapika's reputation certainly would have done his recruitment effort no favors. "Your flunkies are woefully inadequate when it comes to subterfuge – except for the one behind the desk there. Hanging around in this place, where's your pride as a Hunter?"

"I'll have you know we're not a criminal organization," Linssen replied, his tone was even clearly refusing to rise to his bait. "Our group's income is derived from offering bodyguard services and gambling both legal activities in this country."

Supplementary deduction: If the most efficient way was a path paved in sin so be it, but he avoided criminal action when possible.

"Last I checked the Nostrade Family was mafia and those services you provide are a pretty way to say protection money and taking advantage of addicts. Furthermore-"

Kurapika took a deep breath and released it as a faint, frustrated sigh. "Well, aren't you noisy."

Deflection rather than disagreement, Kurapika wasn't as comfortable with his work as he wanted to seem. The large bags under his eyes spoke of the weight of carrying his entire tribe's fate on his shoulders. Dark and cold his aura seemed to linger in the air. It was surprisingly strong for someone who'd learned Nen only two or so years ago. There'd only be a few people within the association able to handle the situation if he went out of control.

Fortunately as one of the former Chairman Netero's sparring partner's Mizaistrom considered himself one of those few. Mizaistrom was "the conscience" of the Zodiacs, there was no one better for the job. As the one recruiting Kurapika, it was only right for him to be the one responsible for keeping the boy on the right path. Resolve for finding the truth and justice had always been his higher calling even if it required questionable methods at times. That was something he believed they could agree on.

Conclusion: Kurapika was an agitated powder keg, ready to explode. It'd be lucky if everyone didn't burn. He was also the perfect protege for him.

"My name is Mizaistrom Nana and I'm with the Hunter Association. I've come to talk to you about the upcoming expedition Kakin is launching on the Dark Continent."

"Pass."

"Leorio recommended you highly. You're still seeking your comrade's stolen eyes aren't you?"

"What of it?" asked, Kurapika his pale fingers pulling at the knot of his tie as if choking. Aura spiking there was no doubt behind his contacts were fiery red eyes. "Speak carefully, association or not your in no position to act disrespectfully towards the dead."

Mizastrom managed to meet Kurapika's eyes for it was the only thing he could do at that time. Frozen and unforgiving, Beautiful and deadly, it was like staring into an arctic desert. The uncanny aura alone produced by the eyes certainly left an impression. There was a moment of stillness, of silence, before he said, "Half a year ago, footage was leaked to the Association from a black site dealing in the fetish trade of human flesh. Do you know what was on it?"

"Of course, I have my resources."

"We identified the owner of the last scarlet eyes in circulation. Of course, I'm not at liberty to release the information to anyone outside the association. We want you to join the Zodiacs, you'll be required to spend two months with us on the boat to the Dark Continent. The mission will be extremely dangerous so make sure _everything_ is in order before departure. Help me catch the Phantom Troupe and I'll help you reclaim your family's eyes."

Threatening, manipulating, cold hard cash - the end of it all was within site. One more beast, this time a prince and Kurapika's life's work was completed. It came cheap, too cheap, Kurapika hardly considered the destruction of his sworn enemy a cost at all. He wasn't sure if this deal offered him a small taste of heaven or if it was going to condemn him to a lifetime of loneliness. The anger that had always been his companion since the day his family died would be gone and he truly would be alone. No one to greet him. No one to welcome him. No one at all.

"Deal. Now talk."

From his back pocket, Mizaistrom produced a photo. "This man, the 4th prince, Tserriednich, has the eyes."

"And we'll both be in the same boat, I presume?"

"Correct. I also expect the Phantom Troupe will make an appearance as well. Over time they've been escalating. At first, they were street thugs Meteor City, then they moved up to slaughtering entire towns, and next was robbing the world's largest auction while spitting on the mafia. How do you suppose they top that?"

"Robbing a prince."

"Close," said Mizaistrom with a slight smile. The boy was just as quick as he'd expected. "Rob all the princes. Once they're on the ship, however, there will be nowhere to escape and that's where we'll catch them."

A band of world class thieves, a royal family with treasure, and an inescapable ship outside of human territorial waters, it was an undeniable recipe for disaster.

Head tipped down, Kurapika's hair covered his eyes. He bit his lip. "Just when I thought I was done chasing them, here I go to the end of the world after them."

"You're a Black List hunter, you'll get use to that feeling..." Or at least Mizaistrom hoped he lived long enough to.

Gesturing to the door, Mizaistrom led Kurapika outside to a black car. A heavy _click_ came from it when Beans unlocked the doors. As they settled inside, it was too quiet. Kurapika's mouth opened, no doubt to deliver some cutting put-down, but he simply sighed.

Silence.

"Fighting the Spiders is something I can handle, but my abilities will likely be of little use for your expedition."

"Leorio values you highly."

"It's strange isn't it," Kurapika asked in a low voice, ducking his head down.

The value Leorio place was far from misplaced. After going through all the video recordings of the 287th Hunter Exam that featured Kurapika that much Maizaistrom was sure of. Strong, agile, and a genius level intelligence, he was someone worth having as an ally. There had only been improvements since he'd learned Nen, by the reports he'd survived at least one assassination attempt while on a train and two A-list criminals from the Phantom Troupe had been taken down by him.

The disbelief, however, wasn't strange either. It was a good sign that he was on his way to becoming paranoid enough to survive as a Hunter. Assassination was common when you carried a card worth millions. One in five hunters lost their license within a year of receiving it. Without even touching on the mafia ties he'd made, being a bounty hunter was an additional target sign on his back. Hunting criminals meant making enemies so the typical life expectancy of a Black List hunter or a crime hunter tended to be... short. None of this was helped by that he had two world class treasures seated in his eye sockets. Luck was on his side that no one had gutted him, yet.

A sigh - inappropriately long-suffering, Kurapika shook head for good measure. "Where is the future Doctor, anyway?"

"He's back at the Association. He'll be studying under the new Madam Chairman, Cheadle, for the duration of the expedition."

Deep, red, and angry, his stare hardened. "Still studying... What use does a student hold for your plans?"

More silence.

To avert the potential crisis of Leorio refusing the expedition, the additional requirement of recruiting Kurapika had been met. He was slow to trust, thus making the third-party involvement of Mizaistrom difficult. Yet, there was no denying the potential of gains from their alliance. A crime hunter to investigate the mystery of the missing scarlet eyes and a Black List bounty hunter to catch his bank robbers.

Mizaistrom slowly spoke as if tasting his words to ensure they were a bland as possible, devoid of anything that may cause further distress. "During the recent election, Leorio made quite the name for himself. The chairman herself doesn't even have an approval rating close to his."

"So you're throwing him into the fire for political capital."

"I wouldn't go that far. It takes considerable skill to hit Ging hard enough to have any effect. The man has one of the hardest heads I've ever seen."

"Leorio or Ging?"

"Both."

Kurapika appeared to be gritting his teeth, but he nodded without saying anything. At least Leorio was too stubborn to die on them, he'd give him that much. "So what made him go into politics? Running for office seems an unusual choice for a med student."

"Gon was hospitalized during the recent Chimera Ant troubles, he'd been a part of Chairman Netero's punitive force. He's recovered since."

"I see. I'll help in any way I'm able."

"That's the best anyone can hope for. I'd do suggest you act mindfully, this is a large political undertaking and the power balance of Kakin, the V5, and the Hunter Association are all at stake. If possible the most nonconfrontational path would be for the best. While your situation takes priority, I want you to work closely with me rather than pulling in more outside factors."

Beans brought the car to a stop as they arrived.

His hand already wrapped around the door handle, Kurapika huffed. "No need to worry, I have no intention of causing an international incident."

As they entered the Hunter Association headquarters Leorio caught sight of them.

Reaching the threshold and Mizaistrom was startled to see a look of hurt on his face – not an expression I had ever seen on him before. The air got colder as Kurapika's face froze into a neutral expression. There was history here and he felt every bit the intruder.

Recovering, Leorio pointed sharply at Kurapika. "Damn it Kurapika, give me your email!"

There was the man that stirred up the entire association.

"No."

And there was the man he was going to partner with for the next several months...

Leorio stomped his foot. "Do you know how worried you've had me the past few months, you ass!"

Voice faint as his the look in his eyes softened, Kurapika said, "There's no reason to worry about me, I'm-"

"The fuck there isn't. Gon, Killua, you - all my friends are putting their lives on the line while I sit around safe and sound. All I wanted was to be a doctor so I'd have the power not to lose someone again and it almost happened anyway. Well, I'm sick of it. I'm not letting you fight alone anymore."

"The Dark Continent is a savage place..." Kurapika shook his head and gave him a faint chuckle. "It'll be nice to have someone I can trust there."

"My thoughts exactly."

The slight hesitation before Kurapika exhaled with relief gave away just how unaccustomed he was to smiling. "Leorio... It's good to see you again."

"I'm glad to see you too. I've been sweating like a pig all day at the thought of meeting all these new people."

"At least they chose the right animal for you."

"Rat bastard."

Clearing his throat, Mizaistrom watched as the pair jumped slightly in surprise. Gesturing towards a nearby entryway, he said, "If you're finished with the reunion this door leads to the meeting room. There you will be introduced to the other Zodiacs and Cheadle will brief everyone on the mission details."

Nodding their understanding, they slipped inside.

Mizaistrom stared at the doorway which Leorio and Kurapika had already disappeared through. He'd been on the fence at first, but after seeing the two old friends met up he was now sure of his choice to bring in the new Rat.

Kurapika was not Pariston.


End file.
